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Revision as of 16:17, 11 August 2005

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Template:Minor Planet 2005 FY₉ (also written 2005 FY9) is a very large Kuiper belt object discovered on March 31, 2005 by the team led by Michael Brown. Its discovery was announced on July 29, 2005 on the same day as two other very large trans-Neptunian objects, 2003 EL61 and 2003 UB313.

The designation 2005 FY₉ is only provisional. Given the importance of the object and the fact that it has been found on older photographs (precovered), it may receive a proper name soon. According to the current naming rules of the International Astronomical Union, it will be named after a creation or underworld deity.

2005 FY₉ was detected by the Spitzer space telescope. Initial estimates gave a diameter of 50% to 75% that of Pluto. It is similar in size to 2003 EL₆₁, although slightly brighter. This makes it the largest Kuiper belt object after 2003 UB₃₁₃ and Pluto. Isaac Asimov suggested the term mesoplanet be used for planetary objects intermediate in size between Mercury and 1 Ceres, which would include all four of these objects.

It is currently visually the second brightest Kuiper belt object after Pluto having the apparent magnitude of nearly 17. Therefore it is visible to high-end amateur telescopes.

According to Brown, the surface of 2005 FY₉ is Pluto-like.

The object orbits the Sun every 308 years. Like Pluto's, its orbit is somewhat eccentric and inclined.

External link

• MPEC listing for 2005 FY₉

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• Trans-Neptunian objects